South Africa’s official entry into the 2017 Oscars for the Best Foreign Language Film award is Noem My Skollie, the directorial debut of Daryne Joshua. His experience encompasses editing, animation, sound design, media and communications. He is patriotic and philanthropic with eyes that welcome the world and all it has to offer. This passionate young filmmaker is certainly setting the course for stardom.
WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND AND HOW HAS THIS SHAPED YOU AS A DIRECTOR?
I was born and raised in Cape Town and grew up in various parts of The Cape Flats for the first 30 years of my life. This in a way means I mostly grew up in and between middle to lower class so-called coloured and black communities. Which in a way means, I’m an expert on understanding the kind of problems suffered by them – because I was one of them. And I suppose this shaped the kind of content I’m attracted to as well as my genreal appraoch as a filmmaker/director. I love stories centred on the common South African man or woman finding themselves in extraordinary circumstances.
DESCRIBE THE MOMENT WHEN YOU DECIDED YOU WANTED TO BECOME A DIRECTOR?
My childhood was dominated by a few things – football, comics, TV and film. Weekends were basically – playing football on a Saturday morning and then going to the cinema for the matinee double bill at CINE 400 in Rylands where we (friends and cousins) watched the most recent Hollywood blockbuster coupled with some random B movie. It helped us stay out of trouble (which surrounded us on a daily basis). And I guess that’s where my love for cinema began. But I’m going to say the movie Jurassic Park made me want to make films. I think I was 13 years old at the time and I was just blown away by how real the dinosuars seemed! From that moment I just needed and wanted to know more about how films were made. But being from the Cape Flats I didn’t really believe I could become a filmmaker. It was only in my early 20s that it started to seem possible.
WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION?
From everything and anything around me I guess – music, photography, books, art (in general), conversation, the internet etc. But if I must narrow it down – it’s mostly just by people. I love listening to people’s stories – from all walks of life. I’m a great listener, haha (my mother will argue differently).
DO YOU HAVE ANY MENTORS?
Not really in a film directing sense. I think it’s a real problem in our industry – and I only speak for Cape Town (as I’ve never really worked extensively in any other part of the country). But we at Gambit Films are trying to change that and have taken on some young aspiring directors that we will mentor over the next few years. Having said that – I did have mentors in a genreal film business sense. People like Rob Carlisle (founder of CFX), Jaco Loubser (founder of Homebrew Films) and Simon Hansen (founder of Inspired Minority) – I learnt a lot about the business from them in the ealry part of my career. Currently I’d count David Max Brown (producer of Noem My Skollie) amongst them.
WHAT ARE YOUR PERSONAL CAREER MILESTONES?
Graduating from film school (AFDA). Straight away starting a film and TV production company (Gambit Films) with a few of my favourite people in life. Turning it into a successful venture which has created almost a hundred permanent jobs in our local industry as well as many consistent freelance ones. Gambit Films producing Cape Town’s first Afrikaans soapie, Suidooster for DSTV and Kyknet. Lecturing on Cinema and Film Studies at Cape Peninsula, University of Technology. Writing the SAFTA winning short film Nommer 37. Directing my first feature film (Noem My Skollie). My first feature film being chosen as SA’s Oscar submission.
WHICH PROJECTS ARE YOU CURRENTLY INVOLVED IN?
At the moment I am in prep with a film based on the true story of Ellen Pakkies (A mother from Lavender Hill, Cape Town who took the life of her own drug addicted son). We start shooting in February. I’m also involved in the feature film adaptation of the short film Nommer 37 – Nosipho Dumisa of Gambit Films will be making her feature film directing debut. And then last but not least – there is a US based science fiction project that I’m currently attached to.
WHAT KIND OF CONTENT DO YOU ENJOY CREATING?
That’s a difficult question. I guess anything that entertains and enlightens at the same time. Be it television or film. I’m also not genre specific. I love telling a good story – that is all.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FUNNIEST MOMENT ON SET?
I have too many lol. But there’s a story where one of the grips thought it was funny to, at random times, fart just as the AD said action. Then at one point I guess he was trying too hard and he passed a bit more than gas, if you know what I mean. To everyones amusement, he had to leave set promptly to clean up.
IF YOU COULD PRODUCE AN AFRICAN VERSION OF A HOLLYWOOD CLASSIC, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
That would be nearly impossible to answer if I chose to think about it. So, the first one that comes to mind without properly thinking about is – Raiders of the Lost Ark. No wait, The Godfather. Or maybe Heat. Okay, last one – Rear Window.
WHO WOULD YOU CAST AS YOURSELF IN A TV SERIES?
DJ Mouton of Noem My Skollie. I would’ve loved to cast some international A-lister, but none of them will pull off a coloured English accent, let alone a South African one.
WHO IN THE INDUSTRY WOULD YOU REALLY LIKE TO WORK WITH?
Locally, probably AKA. I’d love to cast him in one of my films. The man’s a star. I think he’d do well with the right material. Internationally – Daniel Day-Lewis and of course Charlize Theron.
WHAT IS YOUR DREAM SHOOT LOCATION? AND WHY?
Tokyo. I love the city and its people.
WHAT OR WHERE IS YOUR HAPPY PLACE?
On the beach with my wife and son.
IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY FILMMAKER SUPERPOWER, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
That’s easy. I would love to have the power where I can slow down or speed up time. Or better yet – the power to increase budget.
